Armed Forces: Chaplains

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many (a) Muslims; (b) Hindus; (c) Sikhs; and (d) Buddhists are members of the Armed Forces; how many hours a week respectively the corresponding chaplains are allocated; and whether all these chaplaincy appointments will be made full-time.

Lord Drayson: As at 1 January 2006, the number of self-declared adherents of the faiths listed currently serving in the Armed Forces were as follows.
	
		
			 Muslim Hindu Sikh Buddhist 
			 320 250 
			  85 
			  245 
		
	
	Source: DASA (Tri-Service)
	1. UK Regular forces includes nursing services and excludes full-time Reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reservists and naval activated reservists.
	2. Figures include both trained and untrained personnel.
	3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five to prevent disclosure of sensitive personal data.
	4. Due to rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts.
	The conditioned working hours for the respective chaplains to the Armed Forces are as follows.
	
		
			 Muslim Hindu Sikh Buddhist 
			 36 hours per week (a full-time appointment) 22 ½ hours per   week 
			  15 hours per   week 
			  15 hoursper week 
		
	
	The working hours for these posts are currently under review.

Armed Forces: Reserves

Lord Swinfen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to bring treatment of members of the Reserve Forces into line with the principles set out in the House of Lords decision in Matthews and others v Kent and Medway Towns Fire Authority and others.

Lord Drayson: The House of Lords has referred the Matthews case back to an employment tribunal for further consideration and a final judgment. The ruling has not affected the Ministry of Defence's position in relation to Reserves.

Armed Forces: Royal Irish Regiment

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total value of potential land sales arising from the disbandment of the Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.

Lord Drayson: When the disbandment of the Home Service Battalion was announced, the security annexe to the joint declaration committed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the vacation, closure and disposal of all Northern Ireland military sites to leave no more than 14 core sites. Bases will be disposed of as part of the normalisation process, but the assessment of those MoD sites occupied in whole or in part by the Home Service units of the Royal Irish Regiment is still under consideration. Until that assessment has been concluded, the value of potential land sales cannot be determined.

Armed Forces: US Bases

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many United States bases there are in the United Kingdom; and how many incidents have been reported to United Kingdom police officers concerning United Kingdom citizens on United States bases since 1997.

Lord Drayson: Twelve Royal Air Force bases are made available to the United States Visiting Forces in the United Kingdom. Records of such incidents reported to United Kingdom police officers are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate effort.

Arms Trade

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have received from the Government of Russia regarding the content of an arms trade treaty.

Lord Triesman: We are in regular contact with international partners regarding an arms trade treaty (ATT), including Russia. On 20 February, a cross-Whitehall delegation visited Moscow to discuss the ATT initiative with Russian counterparts. Discussions covered the general scope of a treaty, but focused more at this point on process and on how the initiative may be taken forward within the UN context. We will continue to work with Russia and other international partners to generate support towards our objective of initial discussions in the UN later in 2006.

Beaches

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many beaches in England and Wales are designated as clean and fly the European Union blue flag.

Lord Bach: There are a number of voluntary bathing water award schemes in operation in the UK. These include the Blue Flag Scheme, the Seaside Awards and the Good Beach Guide.
	The Blue Flag Scheme has been run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) since 1987.
	During the 2005 bathing season, England had 65 and Wales had 38 beaches that are eligible to fly the blue flag. The scheme is administered by ENCAMS in the UK and includes standards for litter, dog control and environmental care as well as water quality.

Israel: Bethlehem

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are making representations to the Government of Israel concerning (a) the Bethlehem families soon to be cut off from their schools and medical services by a concrete wall; and (b) access to Rachel's tomb for Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim.

Lord Triesman: Bethlehem is of unique religious and cultural significance to Christians, Jews and Muslims. We remain concerned about the current route of the barrier and settlement building around Bethlehem, as we do elsewhere in the West Bank.
	On 2 March, our ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the issue of settlements and the barrier with the Israeli Prime Minister's Special Adviser. They also discussed Israeli Acting Prime Minister Olmert's future plans for the West Bank. They met again on 20 March where our ambassador raised the Bethlehem crossing. We also raised our concerns about closures in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli Foreign Ministry on 9 March.

Changes of Address

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which members of the European Economic Area require their citizens to notify central government of changes of address; and which members have no such requirement.

Lord Triesman: The following European Economic Area countries require central notification of a permanent change of address: Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
	Permanent changes of address should be notified to local municipal, police or tax authorities in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia. In most cases, this information is then forwarded to a central authority.
	In Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta and the United Kingdom there is no general requirement to notify a central authority of a permanent change of address.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any of the centres devoted to the treatment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) under the Department of Health's £8.5 million initiative employing clinical champions will be based in psychiatric departments; and, if so, in which hospitals; and
	Whether the £8.5 million allocated by the Department of Health to the setting up of specialist centres for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and employing clinical champions was ring-fenced; if so, how many centres are planned with what funding; how many centres are fully operational; and what is the reason for others not yet functioning.

Lord Warner: Since the announcement of the £8.5 million ring-fenced budget for developing new services for people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), we have established 13 clinical network co-ordinating centres, 36 multi-disciplinary teams, as well as 11 specialist children and young people's teams across England.
	The clinical network co-ordinating centres (CNNCs) are virtual centres, established to champion and support the development of multi-disciplinary CFS/ME services and improve clinical care in their designated area.
	Improving service provision and care for people with CFS/ME has been an evolving process, while CNCCs and local multi-disciplinary teams have sought to recruit and train staff and find premises in which to see patients. It is estimated that, by the end of the year, 11,000 patients will have been seen by these services. The new services are expected to see 21,000 patients annually when working at full capacity.
	Funding of CFS/ME services from 2006-07 will be included within the resource allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) to facilitate the continuation of services after the ring-fenced period ends. CFS/ME services will therefore be considered as part of the future local planning of services and PCTs can take steps to ensure the establishment of further CFS/ME services, if there is local need.

Civil Service

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service or any Northern Ireland permanent secretary last discussed joint procurements with senior civil servants in Scotland with a view to creating efficiencies in (a) health; (b) education; and (c) local authorities; and whether similar discussions with senior civil servants in the Republic of Ireland have taken place during the past 12 months.

Lord Rooker: There have been no such discussions with senior civil servants in either Scotland or the Republic of Ireland during the past 12 months.

Climate Change

Lord Palmer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What specific United Kingdom measures are planned to offset any predicted adverse effects on the United Kingdom arising from climate change.

Lord Bach: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is in the process of developing an adaptation policy framework which will seek to integrate adaptation to climate change impacts into the wider policy-making process so that it can be given consideration alongside other policy objectives and priorities.
	A consultation document was issued in November 2005, and the consultation period ended on 31 January. More than 120 responses have been received and the results of this exercise will be published later this year.
	The department also funds the UK Climate Impacts Programme, which works with a wide range of stakeholders to support them in scoping the impacts of climate change on their operations and assisting them in the development of adaptation strategies.

Climate Change

Lord Palmer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there are any plans to strengthen United Kingdom flood defences to safeguard farm land against the effects of climate change.

Lord Bach: Flood risk management is a devolved responsibility. Defra has policy responsibility in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's flood-related work and grant-aids individual projects undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage boards. The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities; Defra does not build defences, nor directs the authorities on which specific projects to undertake.
	Climate change is expected to impact on flood risk through increased storminess and sea level rise and Defra advises the operating authorities on allowances to be made in the design of defences. The department's developing strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management, Making Space for Water, aims to produce revised policy guidance on appraisal by 2007 for those implementing measures to manage flood risk. This updated guidance will take account of the latest research and developments of good practice to ensure that adaptability to climate change through robust and resilient solutions and full consideration of all economic, environmental and social impacts continues to be an integral part of all flood and coastal erosion risk management decisions.
	The Government have no specific plans to strengthen protection for farmland. However, operating authorities are encouraged to consider the case for improvement on merit within a strategic catchment-wide approach to reducing flood risk. Such works may be grant-aided by Defra if they meet our criteria. Clearly issues such as value for money, maximising the benefit from public investment and long-term sustainability are key considerations when deciding how to invest taxpayers' money and building ever-higher defences in all places is unlikely to be either sustainable or cost-effective. The Government intend to continue to give priority to schemes which have maximum effect in reducing the risk of flooding to people.

Dry Stone Walls

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What grants, if any, are available to those engaged in the restoration of dry stone walls.

Lord Bach: Funding for the restoration and maintenance of stone walls is available through the agri-environment schemes, which support landscape conservation and the historical environment, including important features such as traditional field boundaries.
	The entry level stewardship strand of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme provides an option to protect and maintain stone walls, and this is open to all land managers provided they meet the scheme's requirements.
	The higher stewardship element of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme offers stone wall restoration capital grants to agreement holders, when taken up alongside appropriate land management options. This part of the scheme is competitive and entry into it is discretionary, based on the delivery of significant environmental benefits.
	Further information can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es/default.htm.

EU: Mercury

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the proposal by the European Commission for a directive to ban the use of mercury in temperature and weather gauges is consistent with the principle of subsidiarity.

Lord Bach: In the Government's view, the proposal as it currently stands complies with the three elements of the principles of subsidiarity, as laid down in Article 5 of the treaty. In particular, because of the multinational nature of the industry and the trans-boundary nature of the pollutant concerned, EU-level action is appropriate.

Families: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 1 March (WA 62), whether the £500,000 to be made available by April 2007 from the children and young people fund for the provision of child contact centres is supplementary to moneys already provided; what is the provision for 2006–07; and what the provision has been since April 2003.

Lord Rooker: I can confirm that the £500,000 from the children and young people fund package is additional money which will be used to expand the provision of children's contact centre services.
	In addition to the £500,000 from the children and young people fund package, £248,962 is being allocated to the child contact centres in Northern Ireland from the Health and Social Services Trusts and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for financial year 2006-07. This includes funding from the Department of Social Development, Neighbourhood Renewal Programme for one Centre, which is paid through the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
	From 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2005, £328,989 has been provided to the child contact centres.

Freedom of Information

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what basis government agencies in Northern Ireland charge fees to provide information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Lord Rooker: Public authorities in Northern Ireland, including government agencies, may charge fees to provide information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Genital Warts

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) How many cases of genital warts there have been in England in each year since 1995; and (b) how much the treatment of genital warts has cost the National Health Service each year since 1997, in each case broken down by strategic health authority.

Lord Warner: The data are set out in the following table but are available only since 2000 when strategic health authorities came into existence. Data on the costs of treating genital warts are not collected centrally.
	
		Diagnoses of genital warts: first attack, recurrence and re-registered cases by strategic health authority and sex in England: 2000-04
		
			 Strategic Health Authority Sex 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Male 2,661 2,659 2,625 2,655 2,797 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Female 2,138 2,167 2,169 2,155 2,177 
			 Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Male 1,783 1,909 1,745 1,785 1,808 
			 Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Female 1,430 1,465 1,489 1,537 1,494 
			 Birmingham & the Black Country Male 1,633 1,948 1,986 1,933 1,948 
			 Birmingham & the Black Country Female 1,238 1,665 1,552 1,503 1,456 
			 Cheshire & Merseyside Male 2,769 2,649 2,914 2,993 3,512 
			 Cheshire & Merseyside Female 2,229 2,129 2,151 2,381 2,600 
			 County Durham & Tees Valley Male 1,125 1,115 1,119 1,170 1,154 
			 County Durham & Tees Valley Female 913 944 960 981 1,017 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Male 1,795 1,710 1,549 1,593 1,629 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Female 1,357 1,353 1,195 1,286 1,329 
			 Cumbria & Lancashire Male 1,993 2,060 2,112 2,268 2,368 
			 Cumbria & Lancashire Female 1,551 1,474 1,530 1,783 1,748 
			 Dorset & Somerset Male 1,614 1,693 1,727 1,780 1,611 
			 Dorset & Somerset Female 1,159 1,215 1,297 1,180 1,081 
			 Essex Male 1,778 2,066 2,144 2,126 2,215 
			 Essex Female 1,298 1,481 1,526 1,408 1,639 
			 Greater Manchester Male 3,510 3,618 3,330 4,024 3,687 
			 Greater Manchester Female 2,774 2,911 2,806 3,081 2,962 
			 Hampshire & Isle of Wight Male 1,951 2,046 2,105 1,926 1,839 
			 Hampshire & Isle of Wight Female 1,616 1,622 1,576 1,526 1,527 
			 Kent & Medway Male 1,570 1,572 1,643 1,599 1,679 
			 Kent & Medway Female 1,291 1,230 1,249 1,203 1,441 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Male 1,832 1,628 1,577 1,536 1,599 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Female 1,392 1,252 1,165 1,209 1,236 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire Male 2,277 2,274 2,287 2,353 2,255 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire Female 1,866 1,955 1,817 1,968 1,917 
			 North and East Yorkshire & Northern Lincoln Male 1,155 1,258 1,450 1,661 1,638 
			 North and East Yorkshire & Northern Lincoln Female 922 1,164 1,265 1,406 1,390 
			 North Central London Male 2,026 2,244 2,500 2,337 2,370 
			 North Central London Female 1,489 1,619 1,717 1,500 1,663 
			 North-East London Male 2,633 2,704 2,830 2,997 2,669 
			 North-East London Female 1,796 1,783 1,917 2,041 1,721 
			 North-West London Male 4,711 4,879 4,495 4,137 4,670 
			 North-West London Female 2,817 2,791 2,541 2,447 2,676 
			 Northumberland, Tyne & Wear Male 2,381 2,252 2,089 2,173 2,318 
			 Northumberland, Tyne & Wear Female 1,887 1,727 1,719 1,654 1,836 
			 Shropshire & Staffordshire Male 1,526 1,571 1,439 1,425 1,726 
			 Shropshire & Staffordshire Female 1,193 1,255 1,181 1,233 1,268 
			 South-East London Male 2,455 2,551 2,670 2,743 2,679 
			 South-East London Female 1,779 1,776 1,836 1,913 1,885 
			 South-West London Male 2,153 1,965 2,239 2,248 2,537 
			 South-West London Female 1,564 1,493 1,620 1,626 1,715 
			 South-West Peninsula Male 1,700 1,774 1,876 1,841 2,000 
			 South-West Peninsula Female 1,553 1,606 1,642 1,711 1,657 
			 South Yorkshire Male 1,956 1,908 1,767 1,855 2,010 
			 South Yorkshire Female 1,526 1,501 1,409 1,521 1,567 
			 Surrey & Sussex Male 3,434 3,395 3,763 3,285 3,096 
			 Surrey & Sussex Female 2,592 2,571 2,817 2,628 2,750 
			 Thames Valley Male 2,796 2,782 2,731 2,844 2,709 
			 Thames Valley Female 2,169 2,199 2,122 2,533 2,191 
			 Trent Male 2,772 3,049 2,950 2,848 3,192 
			 Trent Female 2,280 2,383 2,319 2,203 2,486 
			 West Yorkshire Male 2,747 2,859 2,846 2,966 2,913 
			 West Yorkshire Female 2,157 2,181 2,018 2,073 2,111 
		
	
	Source: KC60 Returns

Government Departments: Telephone Services

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether callers to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 0845 or 0870 telephone numbers are required to listen to a recorded message before they can speak to a member of staff; and, if so, how long the recorded message lasts.

Lord Bach: All callers to the Defra helpline (0845 933 5577) are required to listen to a recorded message before they can speak to a member of staff. This message will last at least 30 seconds but possibly longer, depending on the nature of recent Defra business. For example, additional information about avian influenza currently forms part of an extended message that lasts 56 seconds.
	Before speaking to a member of staff, callers to the Agricultural Wages Board Helpline (0845 000 0134) must listen to a recorded message that lasts 92 seconds; callers to the Countryside Agency's Open Access Contact Centre (0845 100 3298) must listen to a message that lasts 32 seconds; and callers to the National Fallen Stock Scheme Helpline (0845 054 8888) must listen to a message that lasts 12 seconds.
	Callers to the Wildlife Administration Unit (0845 601 4523), the Moorland Line Representations Helpline (0845 605 6516), the British Cattle Movement Service (0845 050 1234) and the Pets Travel Scheme Helpline (0870 241 1710) will be able to speak directly to a member of staff.
	There are no 0845 or 0870 numbers directly related to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Honours

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether loans to a political party are capable of coming within the scope of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: This is a matter for the prosecuting authorities.

House of Lords: Writing Room

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Further to his Written Answer on 16 March (WA 253), whether the proposed new Writing Room will provide the same amount of space, comparable facilities and be as accessible as the present room; and whether arrangements will be made for Members to inspect and comment on the proposed new accommodation.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: In a Written Statement I have released today, I have informed the House about the decisions of the Administration and Works Committee with regard to the future use of the Lord Chancellor's accommodation. This includes information about the new Writing Room. I refer the noble Lord to that Statement.
	The decision of the Administration and Works Committee is not open to review and there are no plans for special arrangements to allow Members to inspect and comment on the proposed new accommodation.

Immigration: Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 13 March (WA 118), to what extent during the past three years there have been departures in practice from the current timescales for ensuring that appeals by applicants from outside the United Kingdom against the refusal of entry clearance to the United Kingdom are heard and decided within a reasonable time as currently prescribed.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Further to my Written Answer of 13 March (WA 118), the departures from the assessment of reasonable time experienced since April 2005 are as follows.
	Between April 2005 and October 2005, an administrative backlog of entry clearance and family-visitor appeals built up with the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT), totalling approximately 39,000 cases. Those cases experienced a delay in initial processing (acknowledgement and issue of papers to the respondent requesting the appeal bundle) of up to 16 weeks. The administrative backlog was cleared by the end of December 2005.
	Since October 2005, the initial administrative action on all entry clearance and family visit appeals received by the AIT has been timely. As bundles are received by the AIT from entry clearance and visa officers abroad, appeals are listed for hearing. There are departures from the reasonable timescales for the respondent to provide the AIT with an appeal bundle, but they are not consistent and could not be assessed without incurring disproportionate cost.
	As a result of workload volumes, and the clearance of backlogged cases, the AIT is currently listing entry clearance and family visit appeals at 16 weeks from receipt of the appeal bundle. This represents a departure of between eight and 12 weeks from anticipated reasonable timescales.
	For years prior to April 2005 and the implementation of the AIT, appeals were subject to different lodging and handling arrangements. Appeals were all lodged at first instance with the respondent. Timescales comparable to those quoted from April 2005 are not available, but for the period April 2004 to March 2005 an immigration-related appeal (including both in-country and entry clearance cases) took on average 54 weeks from lodging, with the respondent, to decision by an immigration adjudicator.

Israel and Palestine: Divided Families

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment the Quartet has made of the number of Palestinian families who have been dispossessed or divided by the wall and barrier, or who cannot live together because of identity card regulations.

Lord Triesman: The UN, as part of the Quartet, regularly produces reports on the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories through the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In its report in January 2006, it noted that,
	"the combination of the barrier, Israeli settlements, permit restrictions and physical obstacles serve to further separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank. West Bank permit holders can now access East Jerusalem only through four crossings in the barrier".
	They have estimated that as a consequence of these actions 50,000 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem will find themselves on the West Bank side of the barrier. This will seriously limit their access to education, employment and healthcare services in the city. Magnetic cards have now also been issued to those living in the area between the barrier and the Green Line limiting their movement.

Israel and Palestine: Road Map

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, after the election in Israel, they will propose new initiatives for the Austrian presidency to inject into the European Union portion of the Middle East peace process quartet so as to revive the road map negotiations.

Lord Triesman: We, along with our EU partners, will continue to call on the Palestinians and the Israelis to make progress against the road map to which both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Government have committed themselves.
	We will continue to work with our EU partners to develop ideas on how to push the peace process forward.

Maldives: Human Rights

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask the Commonwealth Secretary-General to intercede with the Government of the Maldives for the release of Mohamed Nasheed and Jennifer Latheef, prisoners of conscience.

Lord Triesman: We are concerned about human rights in the Maldives, including freedom of expression. We share the view that some recent trials of political activists appear to have political motivations. Such cases are also potential impediments to progress on political dialogue and democratic reform in the Maldives. We regularly raise the cases of Mohamed Nasheed and Jennifer Latheef with the Government of the Maldives. We did so most recently on 21 March, when Foreign Minister Dr Shaheed called on Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials.
	We commend and fully support the work of the Commonwealth Secretary-General's Special Envoy and the Commonwealth Secretariat to facilitate dialogue between the government and political parties on constitutional reform in the Maldives.

Mental Health: Northern Ireland

Lord Alderdice: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made any estimates of the need for specific psychological services in Northern Ireland, beyond the general mental health services currently available, over the next 25 years so as to address the psychological impact of the inter-communal violence of the past 40 years.

Lord Rooker: Studies have shown the need for an increase in psychological services in Northern Ireland to address the psychological impact of inter-communal violence, but it is not possible to quantify.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 7 March (WA 122) concerning nationalist festivals in Northern Ireland, whether the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure noted that the 2005 business case for the Ardoyne Festival was the same as that for 2004, including dates; and, if not, whether the business case was properly scrutinized.

Lord Rooker: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure noted that the 2005 business case duplicated the 2004 business case to a large extent, but that it differed in a number of aspects including the costings and elements of the programme. The department identified deficiencies in the application and requested additional information which was provided to the department's satisfaction.
	The scrutiny process is ongoing as this grant is paid out only on the basis of original invoices. A post event evaluation report has been requested.

Northern Ireland: Peace Funding

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what basis, by whom and when the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland was selected to be a grant offering body for Peace II funds.

Lord Rooker: Peace II intermediary funding bodies were selected following a competitive tendering process in line with Northern Ireland and EU guidance. Selection was made by a selection steering group, chaired by the Special EU Programmes Body and including representatives from the government departments with interests in the area of activity relevant to the tender. Under these arrangements, the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (then known as the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust) was appointed as an intermediary funding body for the PEACE II programme on 1 October 2001, and for the Peace II extension on 2 June 2005.

Northern Ireland: Peace Funding

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What security vetting, if any, is applied to those in Northern Ireland responsible for the allocation of Peace II funding; if there is vetting, by whom it is conducted; and according to what timetable.

Lord Rooker: There is no requirement that security vetting be applied to those in Northern Ireland responsible for the allocation of Peace II funding.

Parliamentary Counsel

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statements by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Jim Knight, on 14 February (HC Deb, col. 80WS) and the Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality, Alun Michael, on 22 February 2005 (HC Deb, col. 11WS), why the amount transferred from the Cabinet Office for Parliamentary Counsel has risen from £384,000 of administration resource in 2005 to £311,000,000 this year.

Lord Bach: The Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 14 February (HC Deb, col. 80WS) unfortunately contained an error, incorrectly showing the transfer from the Cabinet Office as £311,000,000 when it should have been shown as only £311,000, which was the actual amount of the transfer as correctly shown in the spring supplementary supply estimates (HC col. 827). This is a reduction of £73,000 on the transfer in 2005.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Beaumont of Whitley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 21 March (WA 40), why they do not record centrally the occasions and circumstances in which they have refused to give effect to recommendations by the Parliamentary Ombudsman; and whether they will take steps to do so in future.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Individual departments are responsible for taking forward the Parliamentary Ombudsman's recommendations. The Parliamentary Ombudsman highlights particular cases in her annual reports to Parliament, and is also able to publish special reports to Parliament under Section 10(3) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 21 March (WA 40), whether they will take steps to hold recommendations by the Parliamentary Ombudsman either centrally or within departments in a way that enables the Government to provide information to Parliament and the public as to when and in what circumstances they have refused to give effect to those recommendations by reference to each year since the office of Parliamentary Ombudsman was established.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: I refer the noble Lord to the response I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley, today.

Pensions: Women

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What impact paying the state pension to women who care for children or dependants will have with regard to the potentially discriminatory effect upon women of the contributory scheme.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The current system allows women who care for children or dependants to build up state pension entitlement through home responsibilities protection (HRP) which reduces the number of years needed for a full basic state pension. Combined with women's improved labour market position, since its introduction in 1978 HRP has improved women's basic state pension records.
	However, we know that the current system can produce unequal outcomes for women and carers and women have done less well than men in building entitlement to state pension. The report Women and Pensions: The Evidence provides a useful compendium of evidence that highlights the key influences on the level of women's retirement income, including consideration of the impact of parenthood and family caring responsibilities on pension entitlement.
	The report—along with the Pensions Commission's final report—has informed the national pensions debate as the Government look to build as broad a consensus as possible on pension reform and works towards publication of a White Paper later in the spring. In taking forward any proposals for reform, we will be guided by five key tests: any changes must promote personal responsibility, be fair to women and carers in particular, and be affordable, simpler to understand and sustainable.

Pensions: Women

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether maintaining a contributory state pension scheme, rather than introducing the Lord Turner of Ecchinswell's proposal equally for men and women, will have a disproportionate adverse impact on women; and, if so, whether they have evaluated the extent of this impact.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We have embarked on a national pensions debate to explore all options for improving future pension provision within the UK. That includes considering the recommendations in the Pensions Commission's second report. One of the commission's recommendations is to change the way the basic state pension builds up so that from 2010 future accrual will be based on residence. We are considering and evaluating this proposal among others with a view to improving the pension position of women.
	Any proposals for reform will be measured against our five key tests: reform must promote personal responsibility, be fair to women and carers in particular, and be affordable, simpler to understand and sustainable.
	These considerations, together with feedback from the national pensions debate, will help us work towards building national consensus and the publication of a White Paper on pension reform later in the spring.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether their decision to change the composition of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, so that it no longer reflects the recommendations of the Patten report, marks a change of policy with respect to the Patten report.

Lord Rooker: Under the terms of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, the Secretary of State's only obligation when appointing members of the Policing Board during suspension of the Assembly is to ensure that the board, as a whole, is representative of the community in Northern Ireland. Therefore he is not required to use the results of the Assembly elections or apply d'Hondt to the allocation of seats to political members.

Political Parties: Funding

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the differences in the legal regimes governing (a) gifts, and (b) loans to political parties.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 establishes detailed legal regimes for donations and loans.
	Part IV of and Schedule 6 to that Act establish the rules for the reporting of gifts, which fall under the category of donations. The regime includes the following measures. All donations above £5,000 (cash or otherwise) must be reported to the Electoral Commission on a quarterly basis (or weekly, in the run-up to a general election). The Act also contains restrictions on the sources of donations so as to prohibit foreign or anonymous donations to political parties. All individual donors must be on the electoral register in the UK. In addition, Part IX of and Schedule 19 to PPERA introduced a requirement that shareholder consent must be obtained before a company makes a donation to a political party or incurs political expenditure. It also requires the disclosure of political expenditure in directors' annual reports to shareholders.
	Part III of the Act requires political parties to maintain accounting records. The making of loans to a political party must be included in the accounting records.
	An annual statement of accounts is required to be provided to the Electoral Commission, which makes it available for public inspection. Political parties are not required to identify the makers of loans in their statements of accounts.
	A loan will be treated as a donation only if there is a gratuitous element to it. The definition of donation in Section 50(2)(e) of the Act includes,
	"any money lent to the party otherwise than on commercial terms".
	This is to be assessed by having regard to
	"the total value in monetary terms of the consideration provided by or on behalf of the party in respect of the loan"
	(Section 50(4)). Accordingly, the more detailed provisions applicable to donations will not apply generally to loans.

Population

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the maximum population they believe the United Kingdom can sustain; and what research into housing needs, water supply, transport infrastructure, pollution, waste disposal and the need for adequate recreational space they have done to reach this figure.

Lord Bach: The Government have undertaken no assessment of the maximum population which the United Kingdom can sustain.

Railways: Accidents

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What agencies, apart from the train operating company involved, have investigated the recent train accidents at Elsenham and Huntingdon.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The British Transport Police (BTP), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) undertook initial investigations into both incidents. Until an initial investigation has been concluded, it is not possible to determine which bodies need to be involved in more detailed investigations.

Railways: Franchises

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 9 March (WA 171), what are the practical objections to the trains operated by the South West Trains franchise being operated in driver-operation-only mode.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The operation and staffing of trains is a matter for train operators.

Railways: Franchises

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether First Great Western is permitted, under the terms of its agreement with the Department for Transport for the Greater Western Franchise, to operate more trains on main or branch lines than is in the franchise agreement provided that it does not cost the department more money.

Lord Davies of Oldham: A franchisee wishing to operate more trains than the minimum required under the franchise agreement, and willing to do so without additional subsidy, will normally be at liberty to do so provided sufficient capacity is available.

Regulation: Small Businesses

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many government departments have issued a simplification plan for minimising the effects of regulations on small businesses.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: All departments will publish simplification plans later this year following approval by the Prime Minister's Panel for Regulatory Accountability. Plans will be subject to independent scrutiny by the Better Regulation Commission and updated by departments at least annually.
	In advance of approval, draft plans have been published by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Health, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Health and Safety Executive and the Food Standards Agency.

Royal Navy: Sonar

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the threat to wildlife posed by man-made ocean noise.

Lord Bach: This Government are taking action to explore the potential impact of undersea noise on the marine environment, particularly marine mammals.
	For example, Defra commissioned research from the Zoological Society of London in 2004 to look at the feasibility of examining the ears of stranded dead cetaceans to see if they show any signs of damage from marine noise. The results of this research are due to be reported to my department in May 2006.
	The results from this project will advance the objectives of ASCOBANS (Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas). It will also make a valuable contribution towards the UK's cetacean biodiversity action plans, which call for studies into the effects of underwater sounds on cetacean species.
	In addition, the Department for Trade and Industry is currently funding two projects, which are being carried out by Subacoustech Limited. The first of these is estimating, measuring and controlling the environmental effects of man-made noise on the marine environment. The second project is a feasibility and demonstration study based on active and passive detection of marine mammals.

Somalia: Pirates

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following the attempted hijacking of a vessel contracted to deliver aid to Somalia on 13 March and the International Maritime Bureau's warning that piracy will increase this year, they will seek a United Nations Security Council resolution to station appropriate naval forces in the area to deter and arrest pirates and arms traders.

Lord Triesman: The UK is not seeking a United Nations Security Council resolution. The president of the United Nations Security Council issued a statement on Somalia on 15 March 2006 (S/PRST/2006/1 1). This includes the following reference to piracy:
	"The Council encourages member states whose naval vessels and military aircraft operate in international waters and airspace adjacent to the coast of Somalia to be vigilant to any incident of piracy therein and to take appropriate action to protect merchant shipping, in particular the transportation of humanitarian aid, against any such act, in line with relevant international law".
	The full text of the statement can be found on the UN website at www.daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N06/272/81/PDF/N0627281.pdf?OpenElement.
	The UK is a member of CTF-150, a coalition naval task force whose area of operations includes the waters off the coast of Somalia. CTF-150 vessels operate regular naval patrols in the area, which act as a deterrent to illegal activities. Under international law, these activities are restricted to international waters. In 2006, there have been two incidents of CTF-150 vessels intercepting and capturing pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Sport: Funding

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 8 March (WA 144), what public notification has been made by each of the signatories to the Central Council of Physical Recreation's voluntary code of conduct for sports events to support the intention to invest at least 5 per cent of broadcasting income in the development of their sports; and whether any such public declarations have been submitted annually by each of the signatories to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lord Davies of Oldham: I understand that the signatories to the sports broadcasting voluntary code, which was established in 1996 by the Central Council of Physical Recreation, reaffirmed their commitment to the code in September 2005. However, to date, the Government have not received any public declarations from the signatories.

Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 7 March (WA 125) concerning Invest Northern Ireland trade missions, what benefits to Northern Ireland resulted from the visit to India in January by the Irish Prime Minister.

Lord Rooker: Businesses participate in trade missions to promote their products and services in the international marketplace through building and developing relationships with existing and potential partners.
	The visit to India led by the Taoiseach attracted much coverage in business and other circles and the representatives from Northern Ireland who attended reported that the mission was of significant benefit in furthering their respective interests. A number of business deals were agreed and it is a matter for companies to determine when to announce details of their commercial agreements.

Universities: Science Research Funding

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much of the Science Research Investment Fund has been allocated to Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster.

Lord Rooker: The Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF) commenced in 2002 and has operated in three tranches. Allocations are made on a formula basis; half the allocation is based on institutions' quality-related (QR) research income and the other half on total research income received by the institution.
	Since 2002, Queen's University has been allocated £32.2 million and the University of Ulster £17.6 million.
	The Office of Science and Technology (OST) has provided funding of £33.7 million and the department has supplemented this with a further £16.1 million.

Waste Management: Belfast Hills

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will develop a comprehensive strategy to protect the environment of the Belfast Hills from illegal waste dumping and especially fly-tipping.

Lord Rooker: My department has no current plans to develop such a specific strategy for the Belfast Hills. My department already focuses its enforcement action on areas with a history of illegal dumping or where particular harm may result from fly-tipping.

Zoos

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many registered zoos there are in England and Wales; and where they are situated.

Lord Bach: The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended) is a devolved piece of legislation. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs therefore holds details of licensed zoos which are located only in England. The department's zoos database indicates that there are at present 230 licensed zoos in England.
	Defra publishes details of the zoos operating in England and their licensing authorities on its website at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/gwd/zoo.htm£zoolist.